RETURNING FAVORITES: June 29: RESCUE ME returns and LOUIE premieres on FX and this is a great combo platter of shows in terms of tone and humor. On July 25: MAD MEN returns on AMC. In the meantime, check out Esquire’s “Women We Love” feature with Christina Hendricks:
http://www.esquire.com/women/women-issue/christina-hendricks-sexy-0510?click=pp
SMART DEALS: Comedy Central has renewed deals with Jon Stewart through 2013 and Stephen Colbert through 2012. Which means both comedy faves will be in the thick of it for the 2012 election which means the comedy greatness will continue for at least a few more years.
DAMAGES: I may have made a mistake yesterday: last night’s episode was the season (not series) finale of DAMAGES. Sony Pictures TV is reportedly still trying to make a deal with DirecTV so they can produce two more seasons of the show. As of this moment, there is no deal.
After watching last night’s season closer, I’m not sure I’ll watch another season. Glenn Close no longer shows any emotion, except perhaps for her hysterical phone call to Ellen in last night’s episode and cryptic Patty isn’t nearly as engaging as the woman who is quick to anger and fun to watch as she plots against others. Patty has become SO interior, so removed, that it makes me care less and less about her and about what happens to her. Without Tom Shays, Patty has no one remotely human around her and even if Ellen were to return to the firm, the two are similar in many ways which wouldn’t provide as much emotional interest as Patty and Tom’s long relationship. With Frobisher in jail, they’d have to find someone who is truly formidable to work with Patty and I would hope it’s a strong male presence because Patty Hewes is at her best when she’s up against men who underestimate her.
While I have a lot of respect for the intelligence of the show’s writers Daniel Zelman, Todd Kessler and Glenn Kessler, I definitely tired of being confused for 12 episodes and then having one episode wrap it all up. I guess I’m weighing the effort vs. reward ratio. I think they did a fine job of tying up this season’s loose ends and resolving the main character stories, though I still think there’s more to the story about Ellen’s babysitter. What did you think? Did you like this season? If the show returns, will you tune in for more?
CASTLE: What a stroke of casting genius Michael Trucco was! He has chemistry with Stana Katic – which seems nearly impossible given her limited range – don’t get me wrong: I think she and Nathan Fillion work well together because she’s supposed to be stand-offish with him – but I still don’t buy her as a detective. Throwing Trucco’s character into the mix adds even more fun and gives Fillion more funny moments to play which is always a plus.
24: The best moment was at the end when Jack went rogue and hijacked the helicopter. That’s the Jack Bauer I love. The rest of the story I don’t care about much but that moment made me want to see next week’s episode. I’m fervently hoping that by next week, fellow rogue Sarah Palin will be riding shotgun with Jack in that helicopter, shooting at the bad guys. It could happen…
EARLY HEADS UP FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT: PBS will air the documentary FOOD INC aka “the film I was too afraid to go to the theatre and watch for fear that I’d never want to eat anything ever again”. But I do plan to record the film tomorrow night while I’m out at the PARTY DOWN premiere.
TODAY’S SURF WRITTEN WHILE LISTENING TO: Galactic featuring Irma Thomas – “Heart of Steel”
Tonight’s rundown:
ABC: 8:00pm. Dancing With the Stars 9:00pm. Lost 10:00pm. V
On LOST: Tonight’s episode is titled “The Last Recruit” – NotLocke’s camp merges with Jack’s camp.
On V: Chad and Anna travel to Geneva, Switzerland to deliver a technological gift to the UN Energy Summit.
CBS: 8:00pm. NCIS (R) 9:00pm. NCIS: Los Angeles (R) 10:00pm. The Good Wife (R)
NBC: 8:00pm. The Biggest Loser (two hours) 10:00pm. Parenthood
NBC picked up PARENTHOOD for a second season today. Still waiting for that CHUCK pickup…but as one of my TV pals pointed out, NBC Universal produces PARENTHOOD and Warner Bros. TV produces CHUCK and networks always lean toward shows they produce. PARENTHOOD has also done well – and I mean well for NBC – in its timeslot. I just wish it was a better show.
FOX: 8:00pm. American Idol 9:00pm. Glee
On IDOL: Alicia Keys is this week’s IDOL mentor.
On GLEE: it’s the much-hyped all-Madonna episode “The Power of Madonna” featuring the fabulous cover of “Vogue” by Sue Sylvester among many other Madonna hits. I believe there are 12-14 songs in the episode which means there’s probably very little dialogue. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.
THE CW: 8:00pm. 90210 (R) 9:00pm. Life Unexpected (R)
PBS: 8pm – KCET Los Angeles: Nova: The Big Energy Gamble
“In this program, NOVA explores the pros and cons of California’s bold approach, which could be adopted nationwide during the Obama administration. To examine the California initiative, NOVA conducts in-depth interviews with Governor Schwarzenegger, skeptics and supporters of the plan, and ordinary citizens and businesspeople whose lives will change significantly when the new regulations take effect.” For more info, click to: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/energy/about.html
Bravo: 10pm: 9 By Design
I have not sampled this show yet because honestly, I think anyone who tries to redesign houses with a litter of kids running around is outta their mind. I think I’ve had enough of way-too-large families.
ESPN2: 8PM – 30 FOR 30: Silly Little Game
This 30 FOR 30 documentary explores the growth of fantasy sports into a multi-million dollar business.
FX – 10pm: Justified
Tonight’s episode “The Collection” has Raylen investigating the death of a wealthy art collector and his way too pretty young wife who flirts with him openly. Tony Hale guests in the episode as an art consultant.
MTV: 10pm: 16 & Pregnant
TNT: NBA Playoff Game
USA: 10pm: Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Detectives Nichols and Stevens investigate the death of a ballerina at a prestigious New York conservatory; a place where a love of art and beauty collides with the harsh reality of murder.
VH1: 9pm: RuPaul’s Drag Race (the show airs on both Logo and VH1)
That’s a wrap for now.
I was extremely disappointed by “Damages.” Whereas the first season presented neat twists that turned upside down a viewer’s expectations of what was going to happen, this just seemed to create random plot twists and subplots that often were then just discarded for no reason. Cases in point being the babysitter and Patty’s new associate, who seemed on her way to being a great addition to the cast and window for the audience into Patty’s deviousness, but she was tossed aside almost thoughtlessly. I don’t buy the “she served her purpose” argument, for there could have been so many other purposes for her to serve. I won’t belabor a list of other examples, but I got the feeling they were shooting whatever ideas came to them and then deciding to get rid of characters and plotlines that weren’t working rather than building depth to the story. While the final episode did wrap things up, I didn’t believe for a second how Patty decided to take care of her “problem” with her son’s lover. Here is a woman who wants to control those around her. The bribe didn’t work, but the threat of a prison sentence obviously did the trick. I expected Patty to say, “Fine, the charges will be dropped, but now you do what I want.” Then, instead of the lover leaving, Patty would use her to control her son, which is what Patty seems to want. By destroying his relationship, she’s likely lost any connection with him. If she lets it survive, now with power over the lover, she has control again. That, to me, is Patty. She sees how to lose battles(the lover stays), but win the war (control over her son). It was just one of many disappointing turns in this season, where I relished the turns of the first season.